That's oh-be-GUY-n, not oh-be-GIN, as some (primarily people from Texas) would like to refer to my chosen profession. Although, working in this field can sometimes cause one to develop a penchant for gin...hmmm.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Summertime....

...and the living is, well, kinda crazy. Isn't that always the way? The more free time we seem to have, the more we fill it up with visits to the pool, spending time with grandparents, and trying to keep our kids from growing up so darn fast. I had to take a bit of a break from the blogosphere. I had gotten into a very bad habit of reading too many doctor-bashing blogs, and it was making me incredibly bitter and angry. Partially because of the blatant misinformation being bandied about, and partially because I know so many great, caring, and self-sacrificing people that are physicians, and to hear us all painted with such an ugly brush really p*sses me off. Not to mention how reading about how much people hate us out there was making me wonder why I was busting my *ss going above and beyond for people who didn't appreciate a d*mn thing that I did. So, I stepped away from the screen for a bit, and took the time to look around me.

In that time, life brought several patients my way that helped me to remember why my job is so important and yes, even still, appreciated. I did a 2 am emergency c-section on a woman who was actively abrupting at 35 weeks and helped save her life and her baby's life, as well. I helped two women, one with an early demise due to a fatal fetal anomaly, and one with a heartbreaking term demise to deliver and make it through the absolute worst days of their lives. I attended several "routine" deliveries and got to be a part of the happiest day in many women's lives (dreaded hospital setting and all). And I waited out a prolonged labor, complete with three hours of pushing and a pretty scary shoulder dystocia, and helped a first-time mother to deliver her healthy, 9 pound 15 ounce baby.

In the spaces in between, I got to celebrate CindyLou's 6th (!) birthday and her "graduation" from Kindergarten, enjoy some time with family and friends on the weekends that I have off, and I even successfully completed 2 weeks without eating any carbohydrates at all (and lost 6 more pounds, yay!) I think of this time last year, as we were preparing to make this move, and I was dreading July (as I always did, with OtherDoc's mega vacation looming in the foreground). This year we have vacations planned in July and Bean's 3rd (can you believe *that*?) birthday, and only 1 full weekend of call. I am finding my life again, and still getting to work in a field about which I am just as passionate, now with less burn-out! Whee! I also want to thank the sweet anon poster who asked that I not give up on the blog...don't worry! I may lose chunks of time in between posts, but I won't forget about you guys. I just have to find a way to make this blog funny again, and not so depressing and whiny! I will continue to fight the good fight for Ob/Gyns out there, and do my best to stop the rampant fear mongering by providing the example which contradicts the general blogosphere "rule." Good doctors do exist, we by far outnumber the "bad" ones, and we prove it every. single. day. Happy 1st day of summer, all! I am going to the pool. :)

I'm so glad to see a post from you!! Honestly, I feel like OB might be the hardest area of medicine for an MD to work in (I don't work directly with OBs too terribly much as a NICU nurse, but I do have brief encounters with them fairly often.) It seems like, from the perspective of many OB-type patients, the doctor just can't do anything right. It's not a fair position to put you guys in, and it's not right. I don't always agree with every decision an OB makes, but I would trust every OB that I work with to safely deliver my baby, were I pregnant. People don't realize that the world of labor and delivery is rife with complications and extremely tough decisions that you have to make in a moment's notice, with no for-sure idea of what the outcome will be. It's a scary place. I sincerely respect you for what you do for your patients.

I hope that you can remember that there are people who understand, and who do respect you, and who think that you are an excellent physician. It's obvious to me that you care about your patients, and you work very, very hard for them to have good outcomes. And I love reading your stories.Sorry this has been such a long and rambling comment ... but I just wanted you to know that I support you :)

I am sorry you went through those issues and saw all the "hate" out there. I hope I don't contribute to any hate and misinformation. I do know I personally prefer to birth in the hospital rather than home, I just feel it's easiest in a true emergency to have that or and nicu right there. However, I enjoy the freedom to move, eat and drink, and to try different positions in labor (which some OB's are comfortable with, others not so much). I went with a midwife this time for birth #7, and was glad I could. Being 39, overweight, and having my 7th born, I may have easily had no choice in the matter. The midwife was able to work with me and I did feel I had choices only getting a hep lock, intermittent monitoring, and water broken in the last 20 minutes of labor. The nurses were not able to lean on me to do things I wasn't ready to do or didn't want to do because the midwife was there, and I felt I could trust her. She also did things an OB traditionally doesn't like rub my back and talk to me calmly through contractions. We tried different positions also since baby was OP and had an asynclitic (spelling may be off, so sorry) head when she did come out...all 8 lbs 6 oz of her. Though I stayed at 9 1/2 cm for a while, and there were slight decel issues, I was on my feet or in the tub...I only was in the bed for the last part of labor and pushing. No panic, but there was a bit of urgency at the end because we had one long decel just before my baby came out (apgars 8 and 9 though)...and I got to hold her, my baby covered in light mec...without her going to the warming table. I'm sure if it was needed things would have been different. First time for me to hold a baby right away, they always wisk them away.

I believe OB's and even family doctors are great, but a woman needs to know what she is actually getting. She's not going to get midwife treatment when she has an OB. She's going to get a doctor who is very busy, and who cannot sit there at the bed side. She is going to see an OB...maybe not her own...for the last minutes of her labor. She is going to be offered interventions she may or may not need. A midwife can also do this, I hear of that all the time. Difference was for me though, I wanted someone to be there with me. I'd had so many babies with much panic since they were born with the doctor just missing their appearance. Because of the practice my midwife is in, she was able to stay with me for the 3 1/2 plus hours, and stayed about an hour after delivery. I was spoiled, plain and simple. I know there is very likely no way an OB could do that, too many commitments.

But let me tell you, if I had an emergency, I would want that OB in my room. If I needed a c-section, OB every time. Breech in a position not able to deliver...yes, OB. I'm no dummy. And I even know which one or two I'd choose to be there, I have had good experiences with these OB's.

Again, I'm sorry you feel attacked. I think we women have learned a bit about our rights. We also compare our births to those of others'. When someone gets a homebirth with no hands on her, and she eats, she drinks, has no tears, baby and mom are healthy...others begin to believe they can have it too. Sometimes they can, sometimes there is no way for mom and baby to both be safe and get this type of birth. It's hard, and women can get cranky about it when it cannot happen. Sadly, I do beleive though that some women are pushed down and treated poorly, I believe I was in one of my births (by the nurse and not the doc).

I am glad you have been able to put things in the right perspective. Every OB is their own person, not the caracature of OB's out there on blog stories. Just as unfair for women to lump them together as it is for OB's to lump women together in one group.

Definitely glad to see a change... from last year to now... happy for you...

I have been moonlighting in ER a bit to take the edge off of my L&D burnout... and after anchoring a foley on a full code 50 year old mets ca adult male last noc... I think I appreciate my L&D job already.

Just stay off the bashing blogs, they're not worth your time and emotional energy. Go to the pool, hug the kids and enjoy the vacation (I hope one of them is with Mr. Who without the kids). And please, keep posting--we miss you when you're gone.

Glad to see you too!Dr bashing blogs make me sad and mad too. "Perfect is the enemy of good" but somehow people think saying "I could never be a doctor, but those who chose to be doctors better be perfect" is ok.Rebecca

Now I realize how selfish my post was...my I'm into lots of words! I am glad you have found your purpose again. We need all the good docs we can get, so ignore any negatives out there. They don't know you (and neither do I but I like your writing).

And I want to thank all OBs out there for the wonderful service they do provide their patients. I delivered my son just 6 days ago, and between my nurses and my OB, it was a great experience. It was decided that I would be induced one day before my due date because of early pre-eclampsia. All throughout the induction, the actual delivery, and our stay in the hospital afterward I felt like my doctor did listen to my wishes and helped me to have the best possible outcome.

I'm so glad to read how much better your new job is! And? My OB-GYN is one of my favorite people in the entire world. He helped me bring 4 kids into the world, including one who would not have made it without his expertise.

Glad to see you back :) I enjoy your writing. And no one deserves to feel attacked for doing a job that helps so many people. Your work DOES matter.

I'm a birth doula, and I don't hate OBs. We aren't all bad and hateful, either. Though I agree, there is a lot of hate energy coming from "my side" of the curtain.

Want to be a part of tearing that curtain down? I do. If you feel brave enough, I would love to hear the OB perspective on what information floating around is misinformation. If we are never told, or never respected enough to be taken seriously (not saying that's how YOU feel - and knowing that this happens on both sides, absolutely) we will never know. I promise to listen with an open mind and heart.

That's what is lacking, you know, and how to heal birth. Listening, and speaking from the heart. All our perspectives and knowledge are important - just think what would happen if we all stopped doing what we are doing and really *listened* to each other.